The El Rey Club, Searchlight, NV

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Check back in December to find out if I won my category for the Red City Review book Award Contest. I was recently named a finalist and they graciously gave my book a FIVE STAR REVIEW!

"Every so often, readers come across
stories and characters that are so unlikely as to be unbelievable. This
is one of those stories – but, remarkably, it’s all true. Andy
Martello was visiting Las Vegas with his wife when they decided to stop
in at a dusty museum off the main drag. Martello’s wife pointed out a
faded black-and-white photograph that bore the couple’s same last name:
it was the author’s first acquaintance with the El Rey Club, a notorious
Nevadan gambling and entertainment destination that got its start in
the 1940s. Run by Willie Martello, this was a place where celebrities
came to get away. In fact, the El Rey Club was so successful in
diverting money away from the Las Vegas joints that it began to attract
untoward attention. The club’s association with the Mafia led to
Martello’s muddy reputation, dragging his story down into the depths of
American history until one author had the happenstance to drudge it back
up.

Let’s face it: gambling is a gray area.
There are those who are strictly in favor of it, and those who wouldn’t
step foot in front of a slot machine. Mostly it’s because of a
morality we paint over the act of gambling – it’s wasteful, sinful,
illegitimate. Or, it’s entertaining, fun, and relaxing. Similarly,
Martello’s story is part heroic and part dubious. Through sheer
willpower, this man erected a business from the ground up and forever
changed the face of the gambling industry; there’s no denying how much
thought and sweat went into the El Rey Club. Yet at the same time, the
Club had somewhat shadowy underpinnings: rigged slot machines, multiple
run-ins with the law, and a hotspot for Mafia activity. What Andy
Martello has managed to piece together – in as seemingly a miraculous
way as the King of Casinos himself – is a thoughtful, well-researched
biography of a remarkable businessman out of the American past."

The research & collecting of photos and memorabilia from the El Rey Club never stops! Please contact me at 702-465-5604 or email me at andy@andymartello.com if you have stories or memorabilia to share.

The King of Casinos – Willie
Martello and the El Rey Club is the story of how one small casino became
the blueprint for thousands of others. Andy Martello came across one
photograph that prompted him to look into the history of the El Rey
Club, of how it was built up and then destroyed in 1962 by a terrific
fire. That one photo brought to life a story that is colourful. That one
photo uncovered buried facts and gave the El Rey Club its place in
history. For fifty years after the fire that destroyed it the Club was
known as a small time brothel, nothing more. Andy Martello brings us the
truth about how Willie Martello built up the Club, of how he stepped on
the toes of the Las Vegas Mob and of how his little club kick started
Francis Ford Coppola’s career. The El Rey Club was so much more than it
was thought to be and the only place you will find the truth is between
the covers of this book.

The King of Casinos had me laughing out loud in places. Andy Martello
has a real storyteller’s gift, a way with words that makes a reader want
to be there in the thick of his story. The photographs were a fantastic
addition to the book, priceless, and helping to tell the real story of
the club. I couldn’t put the book down and I guarantee that anybody who
picks up this book will feel the same. Once you start, you won’t want to
stop until the very end. Great book, a fantastic piece of history
brought to life.

The research & collecting of photos and memorabilia from the El Rey Club never stops! Please contact me at 702-465-5604 or email me at andy@andymartello.com if you have stories or memorabilia to share.

The unreal, but TRUE story of the little casino that changed Las Vegas FOREVER!

The THIRTEEN-TIME award-winning book, by Andy Martello is out NOW! The King of Casinos: Willie Martello and the El Rey Club has been sold in six different countries and has earned 13 awards, including an International Book Award, a USA Best Books award, a Readers' Favorite award, and it was named BOOK OF THE YEAR by the Casino Chip & Gaming Token Collectors Club.

To commemorate Nevada's 150th birthday, NewsReview.com named the book one of the essential 150 Things for 150 Years, a list of the best Nevada movies, songs, television shows, and books.

Check back for information about a major motion picture based upon this incredible book.

Andy continues to collect artifacts and stories from the El Rey Club. If you have any information to share or items for his collection, contact Andy Martello today!

About Me

Call 702-465-5604 or Visit www.andymartello.com.
Andy Martello is celebrating his 25th year as America's premier corporate entertainer. Andy has been seen on NBC's "Last Comic Standing", WGN's "The Bozo Show" and appeared in national television commercials. He has even performed for President George Bush (the original, NOT the sequel!)